WI - 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapses!

[Buzz Mills]

It goes on to say they weren't sure if the car contained any bodies. It's confusing to me!

A crushed car will likely contain bodies; I'm sure they didn't want the press swarming all over.

 

[Gina_M]

I read somewhere that they were looking up the license plate numbers for the vehicles they found, and trying to contact the owners. All the cars they found so far could have been of people who managed to escape.

 

[Buzz Mills]

I read somewhere that they were looking up the license plate numbers for the vehicles they found, and trying to contact the owners. All the cars they found so far could have been of people who managed to escape.

Originally Posted by JBean
Car Pulled From Water at Bridge Site
By HENRY C. JACKSON and MARK SCOLFORO 08.04.07, 6:36 PM ET

MINNEAPOLIS -
Search crews pulled a crushed car out of the murky water Saturday where a bridge collapsed, and authorities said it was the only car they had found in which the passengers were unaccounted for.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Meaning no one has found them yet...either in or out of the water. The divers had to be removed today due to shifting debris.

The recovery could take another day, two, or perhaps longer. It must be a terrible for those families still waiting and hoping against all hope.

I didn't see it, but I heard they have video of one father in the water searching for his child. I wonder if it was the 2yo's Dad? How sad. He lost two babies and his wife. <sigh>

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I hope they can rebuild the 35W bridge with the speed they worked on our I-40 bridge in Webber Falls, OK. They ran crews 24/7 and had it completed within 65 days. Amazing what they can do when they actually WORK! This tells me all the road construction projects around are taking too long and are drawn out for financial reasons. Hmmmm...
http://www.koco.com/news/13813749/detail.html?rss=okl&psp=news
On May 26, 2002, 14 people died after barges pushed by a towboat crashed into the I-40 bridge in the Webbers Falls area of eastern Oklahoma, causing a 500-foot span to collapse into the river. Crews working around the clock were able to repair and reopen the bridge in 65 days, and construction and engineering firms that worked on the project earned numerous state and national awards.

http://www.koco.com/news/13813749/detail.html?rss=okl&psp=news

 

[Buzz Mills]

They just interviewed Bill Wagner, the husky bald guy who obviously had chest and rib injuries and was being helped away from the scene. It was good to see that he is OK; I was wondering about him. Quite a story. He works for Tastee (sp?) and worked with the Tastee trucker who died (in front of the school bus). He said that driver had just passed him, and they waved to each other. The kids in the school bus were all motioning for him to blow his truck horn, as kids do, and he did it for them. He said, had his truck not fallen off of the bridge, he would have ended up rear-ending the school bus, so he was thankful that his truck fell offf of the side of the bridge. He's a nice guy.

 

[JBean]

They just interviewed Bill Wagner, the husky bald guy who obviously had chest and rib injuries and was being helped away from the scene. It was good to see that he is OK; I was wondering about him. Quite a story. He works for Tastee (sp?) and worked with the Tastee trucker who died (in front of the school bus). He said that driver had just passed him, and they waved to each other. The kids in the school bus were all motioning for him to blow his truck horn, as kids do, and he did it for them. He said, had his truck not fallen off of the bridge, he would have ended up rear-ending the school bus, so he was thankful that his truck fell offf of the side of the bridge. He's a nice guy.

OMG. Too much.

 

[Taximom]

I hope they can rebuild the 35W bridge with the speed they worked on our I-40 bridge in Webber Falls, OK. They ran crews 24/7 and had it completed within 65 days. Amazing what they can do when they actually WORK! This tells me all the road construction projects around are taking too long and are drawn out for financial reasons. Hmmmm...

On May 26, 2002, 14 people died after barges pushed by a towboat crashed into the I-40 bridge in the Webbers Falls area of eastern Oklahoma, causing a 500-foot span to collapse into the river. Crews working around the clock were able to repair and reopen the bridge in 65 days, and construction and engineering firms that worked on the project earned numerous state and national awards.

http://www.koco.com/news/13813749/detail.html?rss=okl&psp=news

I always worry about the quality of work when a home or other project (like a bridge!) is quickly completed.

We recently had a major road repaired "quickly" because it is a busy road and the contractor was offered more money if it was done by a certain date. Well, it was done alright. They found very shoddy work and now it's being re-done at the contractor's expense of course, but at our frustration since the road sucks to travel on now for the 2nd year in a row.

 

[Buzz Mills]

There are cars crushed underneath the bridge, that they won't be able to get to, until the bridge debris is removed. It's going to be awhile.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

They just interviewed Bill Wagner, the husky bald guy who obviously had chest and rib injuries and was being helped away from the scene. It was good to see that he is OK; I was wondering about him. Quite a story. He works for Tastee (sp?) and worked with the Tastee trucker who died (in front of the school bus). He said that driver had just passed him, and they waved to each other. The kids in the school bus were all motioning for him to blow his truck horn, as kids do, and he did it for them. He said, had his truck not fallen off of the bridge, he would have ended up rear-ending the school bus, so he was thankful that his truck fell offf of the side of the bridge. He's a nice guy.

Wow! That bus got every break in the world! Amazing!! And yes..he is a nice guy. : )

 

[panthera]

A crushed car will likely contain bodies; I'm sure they didn't want the press swarming all over.

Good point, Buzz ~ and they wouldn't want that. I'm also wondering though if it could've been a car that was parked under the bridge? Just a thought.

 

[panthera]

They just interviewed Bill Wagner, the husky bald guy who obviously had chest and rib injuries and was being helped away from the scene. It was good to see that he is OK; I was wondering about him. Quite a story. He works for Tastee (sp?) and worked with the Tastee trucker who died (in front of the school bus). He said that driver had just passed him, and they waved to each other. The kids in the school bus were all motioning for him to blow his truck horn, as kids do, and he did it for them. He said, had his truck not fallen off of the bridge, he would have ended up rear-ending the school bus, so he was thankful that his truck fell offf of the side of the bridge. He's a nice guy.

Yes and I remember seeing him Weds. night. How sad that he'd just waved to the other truck driver, and then that man was gone but so fortunate that he was able to avoid hitting the school bus.

 

[cheko1]

Federal gas tax should be lowered, and state tax raised - it's the state that should decide what their transportation needs are; not some Washington beaurocrat who's trying to please a constituency.

Alot of our transportation money is wasted on "pork barrel", highways to nowhere, etc. People should pay a mass transit tax when they actually have mass transit in their city; if you only have a few buses you shouldn't have to pay that tax. IMO

Our Highway Trust Fund is getting lower and lower, yet highways and bridges are getting worse, congestion is worse. Toll roads are being built here to provide for new roads.

Some people think we could even have private sector investment in our transportation; I don't know.

Yes Martha Fed gas tax should be lowered.......the states do know there needs / the dudes in Washington know little about whats going on. The congestion around the Twin Cities is horrible & gets worse yearly.

 

[cheko1]

Isn't that $0.35 just speculation as to how much the gas tax would have to be raised to accomplish the needed annual funds to begin a 20 year program to rehabilitate our infrastucture, including bridges.

All too often, it's about how much more they need in taxes, rather than eliminating all of those unnecessary beaurocratic expenses in government that they keep talking about doing something about.

Buzz I am not sure I replied to a post that stated 35 cents. The fact is paychecks aren't going up enough to keep up with the high cost the government is spending.

As stated Mn has helped Northwest airlines out, they built a light rail transit, parks, new river frontage & they've been asked to pay for new stadiums & the wages don't go up. When the state govts get extra money they need to put it aside & use it for roads, bridges etc

Instead the tax payers once again has to foot the bill. I sent Gov Pawlenty a email requesting he consider a toll bridge. It would bring in alot of revenue to the state & then use the money wisely for roads & beridges that are in dire need of repair.

 

[cheko1]

They can't wait; people would be castigating us then for not getting information. I was wondering myself when I noticed the number of missing went from 30 to 8.

Anyway, marthatex, you are correct about the gas taxes. States do know better what they need. Of course, some states don't get back what they pay to the feds in gas taxes. That's all political -- some states who are more favorable to an administration will get more back from that.

Your correct the people wanted to know.
They still want to know, nobody to date knows. My neighbor was just here, they know 2 people who are missing, plus the pregnant woman with her 2 yr old, the construction worker, plus she was telling me there are several others waiting who have missing family members & several others who have called in inquiring about family members not heard from since the collapse. Some are not certain what happened to there family??? They do know they used the 35 bridge daily & would of been crossing about that time.

My heart breaks for them all.

Even Red Cross isn't giving out any numbers, nor any information.

 

[dark_shadows]

List of 8 names of the missing;
link

 

[Buzz Mills]

List of 8 names of the missing;
link

The Associated Press earlier identified five of the missing, who all appeared on the police list: Christine Sacorafas, 45, a recent transplant to Minnesota who was on her way to teach a Greek folk dancing class; Greg Jolstad, 45, a construction worker who was operating a skid loader on the bridge; Peter Hausmann, 47, a former missionary heading to pick up a friend; and Somali immigrant Sadiya Sahal, 23, a pregnant nursing student traveling with her 2-year-old daughter, Hanah.

The police list also included Vera Peck and her 21-year-old son, Richard Chit, who were in the same car, and Scott Sathers.

 

[cheko1]

Meaning no one has found them yet...either in or out of the water. The divers had to be removed today due to shifting debris.

The recovery could take another day, two, or perhaps longer. It must be a terrible for those families still waiting and hoping against all hope.

I didn't see it, but I heard they have video of one father in the water searching for his child. I wonder if it was the 2yo's Dad? How sad. He lost two babies and his wife. <sigh>

My neighbor works with some of the missings relatives. They claimed the 2 yr olds Dad was in bad shape. He wants them found ASAP. So it could of been him. He feels they're wasting time & not doing enough. God bless him!

 

[cheko1]

List of 8 names of the missing;
link

Thank you dark_shadows.
I sincerely hope that is all of the missing. Its a complete miracle it could of been much worse.

 

[Camper]

I've just been catching up here.

Sad.

Might be a good idea to start charging a toll on heavily traveled roads and bridges AFTER a certain age date, and rather before wear begins in earnest.

Many things our government does now need to be looked at very very hard. Individually as human beings would never even consider spending out neighbors money with gay abandon.

.